And what effect could that have on the general election?
Our last two Presidents (Bush and Clinton) essentially sat out the campaigns of their would-be successors. I suspect this was mostly because each was seen as something of a political liability for the candidate from their own party (Clinton for his moral failings in office and Bush for the state of the economy during the election cycle, plus the ongoing wars in Iraq and Afghanistan).
President Obama has not yet taken any significant stance in the upcoming election, although he has made a few comments to the effect of “I have faith that the American people won’t elect Donald Trump.” Once the nominees have been determined, do you think he’ll actively campaign for the Democratic Party candidate? Do you think doing so would have a significant impact on the campaign?
Assuming the candidates turn out to be Trump and Clinton, I just can’t see him sitting it out. I know there has been plenty of friction between Obama and the Clintons in the past, but the President and Ms. Clinton seemed to work pretty well together during her tenure as Secretary of State, and I think he’ll want to do everything he can to prevent Trump from winning the election. Obama’s an excellent campaigner, and could potentially help get the voters who are lukewarm concerning Hillary out to the polls. I think he could be quite effective for the Dems on his way out of office.
He didn’t ask if Obama would support the nominee, he asked if he would campaign for them. It would depend on what Hillary thinks i assume, but it would be a huge mistake if she chose not to use him.
And that was a big mistake. Clinton would’ve surely campaigned for Gore, but I think Gore turned his back on him. This, despite Clinton’s approval ratings hovering around or above 60% during the 2000 campaign.
Obama will definitely campaign for the candidate. Despite what the people on the right will tell you, he’s no failure, he’s no GWB. People actually like Obama and he would be an asset on the campaign trail.
The decision for Bush and Bill Clinton not to campaign came from the candidates running for office, not from the Presidents. Obama has a 52% approval rating according to the most recent Gallop poll, so there is really no reason not to have him campaign for you.
At this point it looks like Hillary is campaigning for Obama, promising voters that she’ll continue his policies if elected into office.
Obama will definitely campaign for Hillary if she wins the nomination.
It also depends on how busy he is. He does have a country to run and he’s the only President we have. So I’d expect him to campaign, but if he isn’t on the campaign trail every day for either candidate, I wouldn’t read lack of support into it - rather that there are other things that require his attention.
If it’s Hillary, he’ll do whatever she asks. And ask she should, he is tremendously popular with Democrats, particularly minorities. She has two former presidents who are very popular at her disposal, she’d be an idiot not to use them both. She has clung to Obama so tightly through the primaries that they nearly need to smoke a cigarette. In those parts of the country where Obama can motivate voters, hell yes he’ll be out there for her. He sees Hillary as a continuation of his legacy and the election of Trump as repudiation of it, no way does he pass that up.
Yes. There’s no reason currently to think otherwise, and whatever circumstances would lead him not to would obviously indicate an overall collapse of the party candidate and no one would be surprised that he wasn’t backing that candidate.
The last two nominees trying to hold onto their party’s control of the WH lost (though in '08, it was probably inevitable) – the Democratic nominee would be very foolish not to ask Obama to heavily campaign for him.
Agreed. Whoever the candidate is should ask, and he should agree. Obama can “run the country” and do some campaigning, too. He had to do that last time, if we all remember.
No reason for him to not campaign, given that the GOP-controlled Congress has decided that a President in his final year of office shouldn’t be allowed to do jack shit.
I’m certain that Obama will be more than willing to campaign for the Dem nominee in any way s/he requests.
